Gibson Factory Raided

[marnold]

I just saw on Premier Guitar's Facebook page that a Gibson plant has been raided. Here's the scoop:

According to the Nashville Post, the raid was conducted by a combination of federal agents and local police who are investigating the company for violating the Lacey Act, an environment law that makes it illegal to import endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar. As of this posting, it is not clear which Gibson manufacturing facility was the target of the raid—either Gibson USA or Gibson Custom. Both facilities are approximately one mile from each other in a warehouse district just south of downtown Nashville.

And here's a link to the Nashville Post's article on the raid.

 

[Eric]

Wow. I figured you were making this up, but I guess not. That's crazy -- I tend to side with the environmentalists on this one.

Guess I should give a tip of the hat to companies like Martin for exploring new wood ideas like HPL in their X series...

 

[Robert]

I contacted the federal agents and asked them to look for my pedalboard photo too, while they're at it.

 

[Spudman]

http://www.mmrmagazine.com/ME2/dirm...0&tier=3&nid=E46268AC30FA41B5BDA74609F0FFA761

 

[Kodiak3D]

Wow. If Gibson ends up being guilty, I wonder what that's going to do to them, their prices, etc.

I wish I had a recent Gibby with a rosewood board, however. I'd say those will be collector's item. The "Endangered Fretboard" series.

 

[street music]

I find very interesting but it appears from the article that Gibson is already covering their butt by saying they purchase only from licensed buyers, SO WHO WILL GET THE AXE? Nobody in my opinion, I think it will all disappear if that is all the feds have to worry about.

 

[Eric]

Question about this: where do most manufacturers get their rosewood? I figure it's probably the most common fretboard material around, so wouldn't this be a problem for most factories?

Is there something in particular about Gibson (possibly the sheer number of guitars made there?) that would explain why they were targeted?

 

[birv2]

Wow. If Gibson ends up being guilty, I wonder what that's going to do to them, their prices, etc.

Kinda sad that we have to worry about what their law-breaking will do to the prices they charge us....

:what

 

[M29]

They would take their mahogany too if you let them......

 

[marnold]

I have no idea if there's guilt or not. All we know at this point is that the Feds had enough evidence to get a warrant for a raid.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have no idea if there's guilt or not. All we know at this point is that the Feds had enough evidence to get a warrant for a raid.

Absolutely correct. And that is based typically on the govt. agents' reports or evidence only. Unfortunately for any defendant, usually the press gets ahold of the state's version first, often via the affidavits filed in order to get a warrant, and that is what is published in the paper. One must remember, it is only one side of the story, and since it is the one to hit the paper first, it is often the one that gets remembered by most people.

 

[wingsdad]

...And here's a link to the Nashville Post's article on the raid.

There's a headline, a byline, but it says the full article is only available to subscribers. Or you can pay $7.50 for it. Not happenin' for me.

Oddly, or not, they use stock photos of a pair of the Epiphone Lennon Casino models for the presentation of the article. Sharp cookies in that Nashville Post newsroom...

 

[Eric]

There's a headline, a byline, but it says the full article is only available to subscribers. Or you can pay $7.50 for it. Not happenin' for me.

Really? I can see the whole article, and I have no intention of ever being a subscriber.

 

[wingsdad]

Really? I can see the whole article, and I have no intention of ever being a subscriber.

Musta been my 'puter, or IE, or whatever, then...or they knew I work for a competing news media company. I just went back on that link, and right you are, Eric....it's there.

Beats the #&@! outta me....

Now that I got to read it, my heart bleeds for them poor l'il Madagascarian (?) Lemurs, tho....
EDIT,to add this:

Sources tell NashvillePost.com ...

After 25 years in the newspaper & media game, I've come to recognize that when a news medium uses that gambit of 'blind sourcing' a story, it's veracity is highly supect. It more often than not indicates there was only one 'source', may have even been hearsay, and they rushed it to press (or air) without getting a corroborating source. I've seen reporters and editors get fired for that kind of chicanery. It's not journalism, it's pulp.

 

[luvmyshiner]

I doubt we'll see any criminal charges filed. But I'll bet my grandmother's underwear we'll see some hefty fines levied against someone(s).

 

[marnold]

But I'll bet my grandmother's underwear we'll see some hefty fines levied against someone(s).

Even the ones you have on now?

 

[bcdon]

Don't they haven't more important issues than this? While they are there they might as well make sure they have those great low-flush toilets installed. And no one better be eating meat in the company kitchen.. causes global warming, you know. :thwap

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Question about this: where do most manufacturers get their rosewood? I figure it's probably the most common fretboard material around, so wouldn't this be a problem for most factories?

It's the type of rosewood that is a concern. Not all species of rosewood are on the endangered species list: Brazillian rosewood is, Indian rosewood is not.

The quote above mentioned a species of rosewood from Madagascar.

Here a link I just googled up:

http://www.alliedlutherie.com/rosewoods.htm

 

[FrankenFretter]

I wonder if we can look forward to LPs looking like this:

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Rest assured folks - Gibson has this little problem covered legally eight ways to Sunday......................"It was a supplier non-compliance issue......not any fault of Gibson."

Nothing will come from this as far a Gibson is concerned.

 

[tjcurtin1]

Think 'blood diamonds' folks. Unfortunately it can be a nasty world out there. Bad enough about the degradation to habitat for endangered animals, but mix in the politics as in this case and you also get human lives destroyed to get this material to 'market' so that some despot can buy more guns. We (here in the land of the free) really have a responsibility not to shrug this kind of stuff off, whether as producers or consumers.